V.  PROVISION OF SERVICES

 

TASK 5.51, 5.52 Provision of Services

 

This task continues with a scope similar to that shown in the past.  CDTC staff provides a significant amount of technical assistance to members and other local agencies under Task 5.51 (and to other parties through Task 5.52, Provision of Community Services) annually, as shown in CDTC's extensive quarterly report documentation of this work.  In 2001-02, this task will continue to include contractual support of the Town of Colonie's FGEIS implementation in the Airport area. More significant, ongoing technical assistance is programmed for Albany County in connection with its annual contract with CDTC.

 

In 2001-02, CDTC will continue to work with the town of Colonie and Albany County to refine the GEIS statement of findings to ensure consistency with the current implementation plan.  The town is still considering conducting a supplemental GEIS in 2001-02 for the NY 7 / I-87 area due to the number of active, large development projects in the area.

 

TASK 5.61          Project Development Support (TIP funded)

 

CDTC staff continues to assist NYSDOT Region 1 in an ongoing fashion in developing traffic forecasts and other material for project development and design purposes.  Specific support ranges from analysis of maintenance of traffic plans related to bridge or lane closures to sketch analysis of traffic diversions from alternative highway routings.  The Exit 3/ 4 interchange project, I-90 reconstruction projects, the I-87 Exit 12 bridge project, the I-90 access Phase 2 project  and similar needs dominated NYSDOT's requests for CDTC technical assistance in 2000-2001.  This effort is funded with Surface Transportation Program (STP) as part of the TIP and will continue at the same level in 2001-02.

 

Cooperative support of the NYS Thruway Authority's plans to study capacity issues between exit 23 and 26 (including a potential high speed connection between the Northway and Thruway) will also require CDTC staff activity from this budget.

 

TASK 5.57          Commuter Support Services

 

CDTC's carpool/bus/bike/walk "Guaranteed Ride Home" program and Commuter Register program will continue. The Guaranteed Ride Home program was enhanced by engaging Access Transit to broker taxi services for carpool and non-CDTA bus users.  For 2001-02, CDTC plans to continually improve the Internet capabilities of the Commuter Register, provide paper copies as requested and seek employer access for publicity. Publicity and promotion of the Commuter Register and Guaranteed Ride Home programs will be coordinated with major overtures to NYSDEC and other downtown Albany employers.  Ongoing telephone surveys of listers will continue; this survey has provided CDTC with a long (ten+ year) time series of data regarding success rates, and the nature and duration of carpools.

 

TASK 5.58          Site Impact Analysis and Review Handbook (deferred)

 

This initiative has been carried by CDTC for many years, but has been deferred to allow other activities to proceed.  It is now deferred indefinitely until a stronger member or staff desire for the product is determined.  The New Visions 2030 effort may rekindle interest in the effort.

 

TASK 5.60          Public Transit Planning Support

 

CDTC staff will be continue to be active in assisting CDTA and its consultants in exploring alternative ways of implementing the New Visions recommendations.

 

TASK 5.62          Assessment of Land Use and Transportation Concepts in the NY 5 Corridor

 

During 2000-01, public outreach, advisory committee meetings and documentation continued.  A full-color brochure and survey was distributed to 14,000 residents, businesses and property owners along the corridor.  Very strong support for the preferred future resulted.  The consultant's final technical contributions will be completed by April 2001, allowing CDTC adoption of study recommendations in May 2001.  Implementation efforts have begun, with new elements included in the draft 2001-06 TIP..

 

TASK 5.63          Travel Demand Management Initiative (implementation as TIP project)

 

This project is currently led by CDTA with CDTC staff assistance.  In 1999-2000, a significant breakthrough was achieved through agreement of Albany County to participate in a TDM/ Transit Pass Subsidy effort in conjunction with its office relocation.  This program is seen as a model for other employers to emulate.  Work is currently focusing on downtown Albany employers through the assistance of the Capital Albany Transportation Committee's work.  During 2001-02, CDTC staff will be active in the regional TDM effort, particularly cooperative efforts with CDTA to pursue parking cash out, transportation allowances, broad transit pass programs, and greater awareness of carpool and transit guaranteed ride home programs.

 

TASK 5.64          Public Relations Training for Implementing Agencies (carryover)

 

A detailed scope is required for this project. It is expected that much of the task will involve greater exposure of NYSDOT project managers to available NHI and NTI and other courses, along with a specialized training in public relations.

 

TASK 5.66          Clifton Park Assessment (completed in 2000-01)

 

TASK 5.67          Linkage Program Oversight

 

This task supports staff activity on a number of Linkage Program projects that do not involve direct CDTC technical work.  Activity under this category includes work with project sponsors to develop requests for proposal, evaluate proposals, select consultants, develop contracts, participate in study advisory committees, monitor work progress and solicit and evaluate proposals for future Linkage Program projects.

 

TASK 5.68          Pinebush Study Update

 

As conditions in the Pine Bush area have changed dramatically since the completion of the 1990 study, the assumptions made on such issues as growth, traffic, and environmental concerns need to be updated.  In 2001-02, Albany County collected updated traffic counts to provide a new data base for the analysis.  Staff effort began in late 2000.  Much of the CDTC staff effort will relate to an exploration of the dynamics in the study area that has allowed the previously-traffic-congested area to absorb millions of square feet of development without experiencing complete highway system failure.  The update will address all changes since the completion of the 1990 study and will develop new findings, alternatives, and recommendations to address the transportation issues within the project area.  The study may help to develop a consensus among all of the municipalities and interested parties in the area so that the conflicts that arise in addressing transportation issues may be reduced.

 

TASK 5.69          Rotterdam Study Update (completed in 2000-01)

 

TASK 5.70          Schenectady Bike Master Plan/ Urban Bike Guidelines

 

This effort was initially listed in the 2000-01 UPWP as two separate activities.  The UPWP was revised to combine the two into a single, $40,000 consultant study.  Consultants were retained by CDTC in 2000 and an advisory committee has been guiding work to date.  The objective is to create a Bike Path Master Plan for the City of Schenectady.  The Plan will support the strategies and guidelines developed in the Downtown Master Plan which identified a site on North Jay Street as a prime location for the development of a sportsplex and ice hockey arena for Union College and the public.  Access to this site from Union College and the Seward Place neighborhood is limited by the present location of the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail.  The plan would include possible alternatives for the relocation of the Bike-Hike Trail near North Jay Street and Nott Street.

 

In addition, the consultant effort will use Schenectady as the reference community and develop bike facilities design guidelines for the region's older urban areas.  The study will examine the role of bike paths within downtown urban areas.  In the process, design guidelines for urban bike paths will be developed and made available for use in other Capital District urban areas.  A study of urban bike paths is needed as they have different design issues than suburban or rural bike paths.  Urban bike paths need to be more integrated with pedestrian traffic, oriented to more numerous points of interest, and within the scale of the urban setting.

 

TASK 5.71          I-787 Truck Route Assessment

 

This task involves a truck access study in three areas adjacent to I-787 in Albany County.  These areas include the Watervliet Arsenal/Colonie Economic Development Zone, the southeastern section of the Village of Menands, and the Port of Albany.  The study will focus on providing direct access connections for commercial traffic to existing and future industrial destinations while protecting commercial corridors as a component of revitalization efforts.  Particular attention will be paid to the relationship between Broadway and I-787.  For each of the three study areas, a recommendation will be developed that includes maps, technical information, estimated costs, an implementation schedule, and SEQRA findings as applicable.

 

In 2000-01, the request for proposal was distributed, proposals received and evaluated.  A consultant is expected to be under contract to CDTC by March 31, 2001.  The study will be completed in 2001-02.

 

TASK 5.72          North Broadway Market Assessment  (completed in 2000-01)

 

TASK 5.73          Central-State Street Plan

 

The effort is intended to create a plan for the Central State Street Neighborhood (north of State Street) that examines land use, demographics, economics, and pedestrian and traffic circulation.  The project will be modeled after the Route 5 Corridor Study and the recently completed Vale Neighborhood Plan.  The objectives will be to make recommendations for land use, transportation, and streetscape improvements which will lead to stabilization and revitalization of the neighborhood.  The recommendations will also be used as a model for other similar neighborhoods within the City.

 

During 2001-02, amendments were made to the UPWP and the 1999-04 TIP to incorporate this work into project S121 (State Street from Furman St. to Fehr Ave.) as a TIP-funded element.  Consultant effort on this study began in January 2001 and will be completed in 2001-02.

 

TASK 5.74          Glenville Town Center Master Plan

 

The goal of this study is to create a Town Center Master Plan as called for in the Town of Glenville Comprehensive Plan (1990).  The Town Center is defined as the area around the intersection of Glenridge Road at NY 50.  The study will include an analysis of existing conditions and identification of design solutions which will respond to future growth in the NY 50 corridor, sewer expansion, and possible expansion of the road network.  The resulting plan will provide the Town with guidance on such issues as transportation (including bicycles, pedestrians, and transit), land use, community open space with park system connections, infrastructure, and urban design improvements.

 

A consultant was retained in late 2000 and initial inventory and "visioning" exercises held with a steering committee by February 2001.  The study will be completed in 2001-02.

 

TASK 5.75          Albany Intermodal Center Planning Study / North Albany Waterfront Study

 

This Linkage project was initially intended to identify the best location for an Albany Intermodal Center.  During 2001-02, the effort was joined to a NYS Department of State - funded planning effort to revitalize the North Albany waterfront area.  The combined study will explore short- and long-range development futures for the 60-acre site.  In this broader context, the study will identify location options, provide details on access to/from the site for trains, buses, automobiles, bicycles, and pedestrians, and will lead to a development plan with phasing options.  The study will also explore the market potential for reuse of a vacant industrial building known as the Central Warehouse.  The facility would aid in the revitalization of the north end of Albany, provide improved access to jobs, services, and trade centers, and will lead to job creation. 

 

A consultant was selected in late 2000 and is expected to be under contract to the City of Albany by March 31, 2001.  The study will be completed in 2001-02.

 

TASK 5.76          Route 470 Linkage Project, Cohoes

 

This Linkage project will provide for a planning study of the Route 470 Corridor between the intersection of Columbia Street/Central Avenue and the terminus of Ontario Street at the Cohoes-Troy Bridge.  The study will focus on assessing the land use and transportation conditions/impacts of the arterial and complement redevelopment efforts in the North Mohawk Street corridor.  Among the issues to be considered in the study are the market potential of various sites in the corridor, transportation improvements to support the possible land uses, enhancements to support transit, pedestrian, and bicycle access, traffic mitigation strategies, and at-grade rail crossing condition.

 

The City of Cohoes initiated work to develop a request for proposal in early 2001. 

 

TASK 5.77          Hoosick Street Integration Project

 

This Linkage project will develop a plan that addresses the land use and transportation strategies identified in the recent Clough Harbour Hoosick Street Corridor Study on a nearly site by site basis throughout the corridor.  This will provide a greater level of detail than the original corridor study which identified strategies for three generalized planning areas.  The proposed plan will validate the feasibility of the identified transportation improvements and implement land use controls to facilitate and complement them.  It will also provide Troy with the necessary guidance to ensure that developers and potential redevelopers are aware of the recommended strategies for the corridor and that they are implemented in a coherent manner.

 

This project has not been initiated as of February 2001.  It is expected that a consultant will be retained and the study completed in 2001-02.

 

TASK 5.78          Downtown Saratoga Springs Parking Strategies Study (completion by 3/31/01)

 

TASK 5.79          McKownville Corridor Study (new task)

 

CDTC will assist the town of Guilderland with a Linkage planning study of the McKownville area of the town.  The study seeks to address the pedestrian environment, transit access, streetscape beautification and access management along Western Avenue and adjacent neighborhoods.  The study seeks to identify design and cost estimates of desired improvements such as rehabilitating and extending the sidewalk system.  The study is a follow-up to the town's draft Comprehensive Plan.   The cost is $40,000 ($20,000 federal, $20,000 local) for a consultant study.

 

 

TASK 5.80       Malta:  DISTRICT Program (new task)

 

CDTC will assist the town of Malta with a Linkage consultant study to improve and facilitate pedestrian, bicycle and traffic movement within the town.  The DISTRICT program (Designing Intermodal Systems, Traffic Regulating Infrastructure & Connecting Trails/Sidewalks) includes four aspects:

1.         Design Shared Driveway Standards -- for the Downtown District and US9.

2.         Develop Standards for Parallel Access Roads -- for US9.

3.         Design Sidewalk Standards -- for incorporation into subdivision or site plan regulations, including focus on the Downtown District.

4.         Develop Downtown Pedestrian Way -- a comprehensive approach to linking various bike/ped improvements provided by the Exit 12 project and various commercial and residential projects in the area.

 

Approximately $180,000 in local appropriations remains for additional intermodal transportation capital project costs, to aid in implementation of the plan.  Total study cost is $68,000 ($30,000 federal, $38,000 local).

 

TASK 5.81       Troy:  Lansingburgh 112th St. Corridor Study (new task)

 

The city of Troy will administer a Linkage consultant study and CDTC staff assistance focusing on the "urban village" of a large commercial / residential neighborhood in Lansingburgh to provide a detailed basis for transportation improvement and enhancement actions, as well as land use decisions to be made in the City's upcoming Comprehensive Plan and Revised Zoning Ordinance.  Focal points include:

1.         Linkage to I-787 via the 112th St. bridge, building on Cohoes' Route 470 study.

2.         Access to the Hudson River

3.         2nd Avenue Commercial Area

4.         112th St. Corridor

5.         5th Avenue Commercial Area

6.         Gurley Avenue / Proposed new residential development  -- examination of new connections and traffic routing

 

The proposed cost is $90,000 ($40,000 federal, $40,000 local for a $80,000 consultant study supplemented by $10,000 in CDTC staff activity).

 

TASK 5.82               Glenville:  Freeman's Bridge Road / Dutch Meadows Master Plan

 

CDTC will assist the town of Glenville with a Linkage study to develop a comprehensive land use plan, design strategy and transportation and open space plan for a critical growth area of the town.  The study area is the southern part of the town east of the village of Scotia, stretching from the Mohawk River to the NY50 / Freeman's Bridge Road intersection.  The need for the study stems from upcoming construction of a new road accompanying the Wal-Mart Super Center that will open up 50 acres of land for new development, in conjunction with sewer expansion on Freeman's Bridge Road.  The town seeks a plan that would help provide guidance on:

1.         Integration of intermodal options (pedestrian, bicycle, transit, auto and watercraft)

2.         Land use options addressing sewer expansion and road network expansion

3.         Creation of public open space and potential integration into park system

4.         Assessment of current infrastructure and recommendations for expansion

5.         Urban design guidelines, to include signage, landscaping and streetscaping.

 

The proposed cost is $40,000 ($20,000 federal, $15,000 local for a $35,000 consultant study, supplemented by $5,000 in local in-kind service).

 

TASK 5.83       Lawn Avenue Gateway Design (new task)

 

CDTC will administer a consultant contract on behalf of the Albany Housing Authority's North Albany HOPE VI Revitalization Project.  The project addresses New Visions objectives to promote public transportation and enhance urban living through improved transportation and pedestrian facilities.

 

The study will focus on the intersection of Lawn Avenue and Van Rensselaer Boulevard as a primary, yet unimproved, gateway from the west into North Albany.  The study will seek to craft a design to slow speeds to a level compatible with the residential neighborhood, provide for pedestrians, and integrate new construction at the former Edwin Corning Homes public housing site.

 

The study will also explore with CDTA the possibility of an east-west transit route to implement Jobs Access and other objectives.  The total study cost is $20,000 ($10,000 federal, $10,000 local).

 

TASK 5.84       NY 5 Corridor Implementation Tools (new task)

 

One recommendation of the NY 5 Land Use and Transportation Concepts Study is to progress a thorough analysis of zoning and other regulatory tools (architectural standards, overlay districts, etc.) that are necessary to help communities achieve the preferred future.  CDTC will administer a consultant effort to accomplish this is a manner that is accessible, visual and transferable to other communities.

 

TASK 5.85       Integrated Transportation and Community Design (Statewide Shared Cost Initiative)

 

Because of the ranging "ownership" of the various issues affecting transportation and community design, conflicts are unavoidable.  Private interests may initiate development activity that is incompatible with surrounding land uses or the transportation system.  Local officials may pursue economic development objectives at the expense of infrastructure needs.  Neighborhood residents may oppose needed and beneficial projects.  Highway project designers may have difficulty determining how best to be sensitive to local issues or the policies of the MPO.

 

This initiative would assign adequate resources to educating players regarding perspectives other than their own and establish ongoing communication links to increase joint ownership of issues, encourage problem-solving and establish creative community and transportation facility design as standard practice in New York. 

 

A major emphasis will be placed on documenting innovative practices and projects within New York State, supplementing these examples with a limited number of best-practice results elsewhere.  An important product will be an accessible, attractive document to be made broadly available to transportation professionals, elected officials and other community leaders throughout the state.  The total project cost is $125,000 provided as a shared cost initiative of the state's twelve MPOs.

 

CDTC will administer a consultant effort on behalf of the NYS MPO Association. 

 

TASK 5.86       Capital District Clean Communities Program (new task)

 

In early 2001, CDTC agreed to assume the lead role in the Capital District Clean Communities Program previously provided by Schenectady County.  With the benefit of a $20,000 grant from the US Department of Energy through the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), CDTC staff will facilitate the work of the regional cooperative program.  Efforts will continue to focus on alternative fuels and provide a forum for CDTA, the Albany County Airport Authority, local governments and private sector representatives to explore new technologies jointly.  In addition, CDTC's involvement will assure coordination with regional planning and programming activities, including TDM, transit and carpooling efforts.